When I first became curious about sobriety (years before I quit drinking), I had no idea where to start, other than Alcoholics Anonymous. And while AA is an incredible place to start, it can be intimidating for some and for others, simply not their path to recovery. Whether you sometimes wonder if your drinking is a little OOC, whether you are pretty sure you need/want to stop, or whether you’re already a sober person, I hope that the resources below might give a starting point or direction for further investigation/exploration.
My philosophy on health and mental heath is also echoed here. I fully believe that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to recovery and/or getting sober in the first place, just as there is no one diet that works for everyone or one foolproof way to beat anxiety and depression. (For die-hard 12-steppers, this may be controversial. I also fully believe that AA can and does save lives every single day and that there is so, so, so much good about that program.) A holistic path to recovery will look at all areas of your life and how they can be used to support you as you stop drinking or using: your nutrition and brain recovery, your physical health, your social and spiritual lives, your closest relationships, as well as a look into the conditions that led to your problem drinking in the first place. I’m sure it’s no surprise that this was my own path to getting booze-free. I have also seen it work beautifully for more people than I can count.
This list is by no means exhaustive! Thanks to the Internet, the great resources out there are innumerable. If you are interested in learning more or would like to discuss your concerns about drinking, please shoot me a message. It is my passion to help you feel free.
WEBSITES + BLOGS
To the point articles on recovery, sobriety, and how you can (yes, still), have an awesome life.
Gray Area Drinker Recovery Hub
Gray area drinking is a top search term these days, and for good reason. So many of us fall into a category somewhere between problem drinking and full blown alcohol addiction. Gray area drinking resources help to regain our control over social drinking and occasional partying (that results also in the occasional blackout, huge fight, misstep at work, or obligation blow-off that comes with this kind of drinking).
This is so #1 for me. Hip Sobriety is the creation of Holly Whitaker, and it fills such a void in the alcohol world. When I first heard an interview with Holly, I’m pretty sure I cried. This is someone who got it, someone who works tirelessly to share hope and wisdom and resources beyond the traditional 12-step model. Holly offers an 8-week online sobriety program, a 40-day mantra project, hours of inspiration/tears/laughter reading her blogs, and is the co-host of HOME Podcast (see below).
Laura is the second half of my beloved HOME Podcast and is a writer and yoga teacher in recovery from alcohol. Her blogs are so gorgeous and the world is eagerly awaiting the publication of her first book. Laura leads recovery-focused yoga and writing workshops and retreats all over the country.
Find sobriety resources, coaches, workshops and worldwide retreats, and great blog posts.
Tommy Rosen and Recovery 2.0 (two separate links)
Tommy was one of the first people I found when I started thinking about getting sober, and I’m so grateful I found him. Tommy is a yoga teacher and sobriety coach, and hosts the Recovery 2.0 Online Conference, a free event that occurs a few times a year where Tommy interviews top experts and teachers in the field of addiction. I have learned so much from these interviews and from Tommy’s book, Recovery 2.0 (see below). Like the others I follow, he is a huge advocate of a holistic approach to recovery, utilizing yoga, mindfulness, and food to take recovery to the next level.
PODCASTS (available from iTunes)
Do you remember that scene in Best in Show when Parker Posey felt so grateful to live in the age of catalogs (“We’re so lucky to have been raised amongst catalogs!”)? That’s the exact way I feel about podcasts. I listen to them in the car, while I’m cooking, getting ready for my day. I listen to all sorts of podcasts, but here are some of my favorites under the addiction umbrella, all aimed at education, resource sharing, decreasing stigma, and changing addiction stereotypes:
Some of my new favorites since first writing can be found here!
This is my absolute favorite podcast, on sobriety or on anything else.
Host Anna David interviews folks in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, including comedians, musicians, and writers, amongst others.
Tommy Rosen interviews leaders in the field of addiction and recovery, spiritual teachers, medical doctors, nutritionists, yoga and meditation teachers and wisdom keepers all shedding light on living beyond addiction.
Your hosts Chris, Jeff & Matt discuss any and all issues supporting sustained recovery with irreverent compassion, empathy and insight.
Steve Wofford explores topics like biohacking, meditation, mindfulness, spirituality, alternative recovery, recovery yoga, nutrition, neuroscience and a holistic lifestyle to transcend into a thriving life of purpose.
Others listed here on Sober Podcasts.
BOOKS
Recovery Memoirs (a collection of books on recovery) by Various Authors
Mindfulness and the 12 Steps: Living Recovery in the Present Moment by Therese Jacobs-Stewart
Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction by Noah Levine
Against the Stream: A Buddhist Manual for Spiritual Revolutionaries by Noah Levine
Recovery 2.0: Move Beyond Addiction and Upgrade Your Life by Tommy Rosen
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Mate, MD
Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnson
This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol: Find Freedom, Rediscover Happiness & Change Your Life by Annie Grace
The Easy Way to Control Alcohol by Allen Carr
Seven Weeks to Sobriety: The Proven Program to Fight Alcoholism through Nutrition by Joan Matthews Larson, PhD
End Your Addiction Now: The Proven Nutritional Supplement Program That Can Set You Free by Charles Gant, MD and Greg Lewis, PhD
Natural Highs: Supplements, Nutrition, and Mind-Body Techniques to Help You Feel Good All the Time by Hyla Cass, MD and Patrick Halford
13 Essential Books to Build a Holistic Recovery from Addiction from Hip Sobriety
Reading Room from She Recovers
There are also some really great addiction memoirs out there. I like to read them or listen to them in audio book format. Some of my favorites are by Augusten Burroughs, Elizabeth Vargas, Caroline Knapp, Anna David.
INSTAGRAM PROFILES:
OTHER HELPFUL LINKS:
Y12SR – Yoga meets 12 Steps
Sharpashana – 12-Fold Recovery at The Shambhala Meditation Center of Denver
Refuge Recovery – A Buddhist Approach to Recovery (list of meetings nationwide and a comprehensive recovery center in CA)
Front Range Against the Stream/Dharma Punx – Peer-led Buddhist meditations groups in Colorado